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While they were both in the cabinet, under King Kamehameha V, American politicians John Mott-Smith and Charles Coffin Harris convinced the legislature to fund a hotel. It first opened in 1872.[1]:173–174 The hotel was converted to a YMCA in 1917 and used by the military in World War I. In 1926 the termite-infested building was finally torn down, and a new one designed in Spanish mission style by Lincoln Rogers of the firm Emory & Webb.[2][3]

The museum consists of three galleries. In addition to changing temporary exhibitions, there is a permanent display of Hawaiian art. It reflects a mix of Hawaii's ethnic and cultural traditions through 132 works of art by 105 artists. In a wide variety of artistic styles, movements, and media, the exhibition illustrates the varied cultural influences that fuel the creativity of Hawaii's artists.